SIU softball pulled out back-to-back victories at home in its final games until next semester.

The Salukis beat Lakeland College and Southeast Missouri on Sunday to finish the fall season 6-2.

Coach Kerri Blaylock said she is pleased with how her team played against Division I teams, and seized the chance to experiment with her lineup.

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“I never ever this fall played what I thought was my true starting nine,” she said. “We played totally different lineups, we played different people, we pitched different people. We came out 6 and 2 and played pretty dog gone well.”

The Salukis defeated Lakeland in the first game 1-0.

The Salukis broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning when sophomore outfielder Merri Ann Patterson hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score senior Kara Kimball.

Senior pitcher Katie Bertelsen started for the Salukis and pitched the full seven innings allowing just 3 hits and 1 walk in the process. Bertelsen also struck out seven Lakers.

The Salukis beat SEMO 10-2 in the second game.

Freshman pitcher Savanna Dover started for the Dawgs and came close to a no-hitter. If the game had been played during the regular season with the mercy rule in effect, Dover would have pitched a no-hitter. Dover allowed a hit in the top of the sixth to snap her bid.

Dover finished the game with 7.0 innings pitched, 3 hits, and 4 strikeouts.

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The Salukis broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with a 5-run inning.

Junior shortstop Kelsey Gonzalez finished the game 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 4 RBIs.

Blaylock said Dover could be her second starting pitcher once the regular season begins.

“Alyssa Wunderlich is still here and working really hard, and Shaye Harre is too,” she said. “We’re just kind of going through the fall and seeing what we have.”

Wunderlich and Harre started a total of 16 games last season, both players had losing records and ERAs more than 5.00.

Tony McDaniel can be reached at [email protected], @tonymcdanielDE or at 536-3311 ext. 256